I was thinking about this lately, but I always loved the look of the PS2. I I think the black and blue color scheme works really well. And I like the two levels like the top and the bottom part of it.
Second to this, I think the Dreamcast looks really great. The angles on it make the console look so compact. The orange light on the console is placed really well too.
What do you like?
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Loved this lil guy, small, sleek, simple and played great
I completely forgot about this one. It was so cute!
DS Lite: the most timeless handheld imo
I had that exact DS Lite. It was such a huge improvement over the original DS. Such a clean design
I wasn’t even considering handhelds when I wrote this, but you are right. That looks so good. I guess I also love the gameboy pocket.
The original Wii
I liked the way it would just swallow the discs whole
And the blue LED ring 'round the disk slot that doubled as an activity indicator. So cool.
Physical console design? Atari 2600. The black slots and wood grain front with the sleek angular design is still peak console styling IMO.
User interface design? Xbox 360 Blades. Hands down. Easy to navigate, easy to understand, and good potential for minimal advertising abuse.
Were blades the original UI for Xbox 360 or were they the update? I remember getting a beta invite to try the new UI, I can’t remember whether it was going to or away from blades. But yeah, I liked that one too.
Yes the original dashboard used blades
Black Dreamcast is pretty sexy.
My fist general purpose console was the Sega Master System. It had a flowchart displayed on the top telling you how to use it.
It might not have been pretty in the traditional sense but I loved it.
Looking back on it the chart was somewhat misleading, the console had two built in games that were only accessible if you didn’t insert a cartridge or card (Hang On, and Safari Hunt), and a third that also needed a controller connected and a few buttons held down when you turned the system on (snail maze).
I have one of these. I got it at a yard sale as a kid. I don’t think I knew about the built in games.
The Dreamcast still looks futuristic in 2024.
The PC Engine is definitely a contender. Looks like something from the set of Star Trek TNG, takes unique little cards, and is extremely tiny* and compact. (particularly for a system that was ahead of its time) I think it’s neat!
*roughly the size of a sandwich
Gamecube.
2nd would be PS Vita (original OLED version).
The PS5 is probably my most hated look and shape. Just an idiotic and clunky design, and moronic decisions to go white.
I considered the GameCube too. I probably played that the most out of that generation of consoles.
I still think the PS2 had the best looking and at the time most radical design. 1 was cool and iconic. 3 was just ugly. 4 ok, The current design looks cool but is extremely impractical.
Of Nintendo I liked the European SNES, Gameboy Color and DS Lite. N64 is dear to my heart but it was not good looking and the controller was horrendous.
Console: Nintendo Wii, it is small, and has a sleek vertical design.
Handheld: PSP 2000 and 3000, it is just a beauty at any angle.
Not sure if it counts (given this community), but the original PS4 immediately became my favorite console design. I am generally a fan of simple, elegant, soulless aesthetics.
Amstrad GX4000! Fantastic looking machine, sold mine a few years ago, which is a bit of a regret. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_GX4000
That looks like it would give me at least 25 hp when I pick it up.
For actually released consoles, I think the Famicom is just neat looking
I also like the Famicom. I almost put it in the post.
the 2600 and the coleco telstar are the first that come to mind. it’s a shame wood grain fell out of fashion right as game consoles fell into fashion! i also love the the grey variant of the Saturn. Panasonic got two hits in a row with the 3DO and their GameCube-compatible DVD player thing.
honorable mention goes to the Daewoo CPG-120 which I only just learned about today. it’s a consolized MSX2 that looks like a cross between the Enterprise and a Roomba. i can’t decide if it looks magnificent or awful and it’s arguably not a console to begin with but hey
edit: oh, and sharp’s twin famicom! in general companies that made other kinds of electronic appliances had a way of bringing a certain class to console design without eliminating the fun
If we can pick home computers that lean into cartridges, the Atari 800XL is a real winner. Nice two-tone finish, classy silver buttons with a plexi trim oiece covering the power light.
I prefer the TI-99/4a, but I like your pick too.
honorable mention goes to the Daewoo CPG-120 which I only just learned about today. it’s a consolized MSX2 that looks like a cross between the Enterprise and a Roomba. i can’t decide if it looks magnificent or awful and it’s arguably not a console to begin with but hey
Dude, spoilers.
